Tag Archives: Northeast Fishery Observer Program
100% fishing monitoring is unnecessary, David Goethel
I would like to correct some misconceptions and rebut some of the statements made by Ms. Johanna Thomas in her Aug. 2, 2019 opinion, Monitoring will help improve New England’s fisheries. >click to read< Ms. Thomas sites the West coast Groundfish fleet as a success story. That is not the case as told by the fishermen on the West coast. She also fails to mention that 50% of the fleet was bought out in a $60 million-plus dollar buy out prior to the implementation of catch shares. This alone should have rebuilt stocks. >click to read< 21:28
NOAA Announces At-Sea Monitoring 2018 Coverage Levels for Groundfish Sector Fishery
NOAA Fisheries announces that for fishing year 2018 the total target at-sea monitoring coverage level is 15 percent of all groundfish sector trips. This target coverage level is a one percentage point decrease from the 2016 coverage level, which was 16 percent. As the target coverage level is set based on an average of at-sea monitoring data from the past three full groundfish fishing years, this level is set based on data from the 2014-2016 fishing years. >click here to read< 14:45
Moulton reports his letter spurs Reforms to NOAA observer program
Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) commended the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for agreeing to make important reforms to the Northeast Fishery Observer Program (NEFOP) for lobster fishing. In August, Moulton, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey, Congressman Stephen Lynch and Congressman Bill Keating sent a letter to NOAA that called on the agency to address issues with the observer program and its impact on the New England lobster industry. The letter asked for an action plan from NOAA for specific cost, sustainability and safety concerns raised by the region’s lobstermen. Read the rest here 12:44
Congressman Seth Moulton – a friend to lobster industry by Beth Casoni
We would like to publicly thank Congressman Seth Moulton for supporting our efforts against the expansion of the Northeast Fishery Observer Program to lobster vessels in Massachusetts. Although we have always been confident in Congressman Moulton’s abilities to advocate on behalf of the hardworking lobstermen in Massachusetts’ 6th District, his actions are proof of this commitment. Earlier this week, Congressman Moulton led a letter Read the rest here 16:01
NOAA seeks to put observers on lobster vessels
Local lobstermen are concerned increased observation by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration through the will pose an unnecessary burden and result in potentially crippling regulations. Pete Mason, who works as a lobsterman in Marshfield, said boats already provide NOAA with the information it seeks, such as where they fish, what they catch and what they throw back. “It’s just kind of redundant,” he said. Officials from NOAA, however, say there’s been a misunderstanding. Misunderstanding??? BS! Read the rest here 14:02
